Circularity and Plastics

The National Academies' Roundtable on Plastics convened a workshop in May 2025 to explore circularity and other approaches for sustainable life cycle management of plastic materials to mitigate plastic pollution, including?reduction of plastic waste through redesign,?reuse, remaking, and?recycling. This workshop specifically addressed areas of both high plastic production and waste,?namely packaging, textiles, and building material sectors. Throughout, participants considered solutions including rethinking, redesign, and reuse; the use of these synergies and strategies to minimize impacts on plastic waste; and the associated effects on human and environmental health.